Summer bridge project won't split Sartell

The Mississippi River bridge will undergo construction this summer to make repairs and updates to the current infrastructure shown Wednesday, Feb. 21, in Sartell.(Photo11: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)Buy Photo

SARTELL — A bridge that spans the Mississippi River bridge will undergo construction this summer for repairs and updates.

According to the Benton County Director of Public Works Chris Byrd, the 34-year-old bridge approached from Second Street South on the west side of the river and First Street Northeast on the east side will need about $2 million in maintenance.

This bridge has the highest traffic volume in Benton County.

The repairs will have to be done during the day, so crews will likely work on one side of the bridge at a time, reducing traffic flow. The idea is that they will have to narrow the lanes and use the shoulders on either side to serve as lane space as well.

A Mississippi River bridge in Sartell is due for repairs this summer.(Photo11: Google Inc.)

Byrd said the goal is to avoid completely closing the bridge.

"Any time you close a river crossing, you’re essentially cutting the town in half," he said.

The work on the bridge will include replacing joints used to absorb vibration in the bridge and repairing the concrete beams that Byrd said are "experiencing some cracking in the ends."

At the same time, construction is also scheduled for First Street Northeast and the intersection at Benton Drive on the east side of the river.

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The Mississippi River bridge will undergo construction this summer to make repairs and updates to the current infrastructure shown Wednesday, Feb. 21, in Sartell.(Photo11: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

"This project is a lot like other projects we're doing — it’s maintenance," said Byrd. "It’s not new or an expansion of a roadway. It’s taking care of our infrastructure, taking care of what we already have."

The bridge project cost is estimated at $2 million, and the combined road projects are estimated at about $3.5 to $4 million.

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The Mississippi River bridge will undergo construction this summer to make repairs and updates to the current infrastructure shown Wednesday, Feb. 21, in Sartell.(Photo11: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)